Into the Twilight
by PurpleRanger101
Summary: They thought the Ranger legacy was over.  They'd done their part.  But now, will they take up the mantle again when all hope seems lost?  Or will they leave it for someone else?
1. Life as We Know It

Not long now. At least, that was what she kept telling herself. Not long. It wouldn't be much longer until _they_ showed up. And not long after that, she and they could take back what was rightfully theirs. Until then…well, until then, they would fight. And they would die.

X Blue Bay Harbor X

"I said enough is enough, Blake. Stop this or face the consequences." Tori backed away from the Navy Ranger, her hands held in front of her and a grin trying to edge past the scowl on her face. "I mean it! Blake Bradley, you stay away from me."

Blake advanced towards her, blood covering his hands and his mouth gaping as blood ran from the side. "Come on, Tor. This won't hurt a bit." He reached out with his hands to grab her arms as she shrieked and backed further away, struggling to get out of his grasp.

Her retreat was stopped short when she ran up against an unmoving figure. She whirled around to see what had impeded her. "Hunter!" she shouted. "Tell your brother to give it up."

Hunter leaned around her to stare at his brother. He took in the blood covering Blake's hands and leaking from his mouth. "I don't even want to know," he said and turned to go.

"What?" Tori exclaimed. "You're not even going to help me?" The twenty-six-year-old surfer whirled to face her brother-in-law. "You're just going to let him bloody me up?"

"He's bleeding. His hands are covered in blood. He's chasing you around Ninja Ops. No, Tori, I'm not going to help you. I don't want to get involved. With whatever this is." Hunter shook his head. "You two can figure this out on your own."

Blake laughed. "Chill, Hunter. It's just fake blood. For fun. Dustin got me some. He also got me this really cool knife and a throwing dagger." Blake pulled the two blades from his pockets and expertly twirled them through his fingers.

"Do you really miss being a Ranger that bad?" Hunter asked, sitting at the low table. Tori dropped down beside him as Blake sat across from them. "It's been a long time, Blake. A really long time. We're twenty-six now. It's been nine years. Nine years, Blake. Aren't you happy?"

"Of course I'm happy. I have a beautiful wife, a wonderful son, I couldn't be happier. Speaking of sons…where _is_ David?" Blake turned to Tori.

She shrugged. "Cam took him somewhere. They were going to go play Thunder Ninja in the park, I think. Ever since you got that kid a thunder staff for his third birthday, Hunter, he just wants to be like his Daddy and Uncle."

"What can I say? Thunder trumps water any day," Blake nodded defiantly and reached towards Tori with his bloody fingers…

X Miranoi X

Leo and Damon were starting a new job. They were in their late twenties, almost thirty, and no longer protectors of Terra Venture. Now, the two men sat in the front lobby of their shop and waited until it was time to open.

"Feels weird." Damon announced. He wore his customary green mechanic's uniform, with a number of wrenches, hammers and tools in his belt. "Doesn't it feel weird?"

Leo noticed Damon's right hand unconsciously twisting around his left wrist. He smiled. "We haven't been Rangers for a long time, you longer than me. Why should this feel weird?" Leo wore a red knit polo and dark dress pants. He'd be manning the front of the repair shop while Damon headed up the repair parts.

"Look at us. It may have been more than ten years since we wore the suits but we still wear our colors. Face it, man. Doing anything but fighting evil is not normal for you and it's not normal for me."

"Yeah, maybe. But we just have to move on. That part of our lives is over. Today is the last day I will ever wear red." Leo declared. He glanced at his watch and grinned at Damon. "Well, it's nine o'clock. Time to open up. You ready?"

Before Leo could get up to go to the door, two little blurs ran in from the garage and attacked him. "Daddy!" one of the blurs shouted.

"Hey, girls!" Leo stood and scooped the two little girls up into his arms. "What are you doing here?"

His wife, Kendrix, came in just then and provided an answer. "They wanted to see Daddy at his new job. Girls, let Daddy open up. Get down." Though Kendrix and Leo had been married for going on six years, they had delayed having children until they knew for sure that their days as Rangers were over. After the Lightspeed debacle, they'd decided that it was time.

Lila and Jessie scrambled down out of Leo's arms as he went to open the door. He called back over his shoulder as he flipped over the open sign, "Hey, Ken, have you heard from Maya today? She was supposed to call me yesterday but she never did."

Kendrix shook her head. "No, I haven't. I'm supposed to meet her later today, though, so I'll tell her to call you. I gotta go, babe. Good luck with your first day of business."

Damon looked up from where he was showing Lila his wrench. "What are you doing with Lila and Jess today, now that your babysitter-house-mom/dad has started a business?"

"They're going to school today for the first time. Four year old kindergarten!" Kendrix headed for the door. "Come on, Lil, Jess. We're going to be late." She held the door open for them but Lila ran back for one more hug from Leo.

"Daddy, guess what?" she leaned back to look him in the eye.

"What, sweetheart?" Leo ran his hands through her shiny, blonde hair.

"I gotsa jelly sandwich for lunch. No peanut butter, cause it's not 'llowed in school."

Jess broke in. "Yeah, some kids are 'llergic!"

Leo laughed. "You two have fun today. I'll see ya after work."

Lila's mouth twisted down and she blinked several times. "You'll come get us, right, Daddy? When school ends? You promise?"

Leo leaned down and rubbed his nose against hers. "Yes, princess, I'll be there at two o'clock to pick you up. Should anything happen, Uncle Mike will be there and he'll bring you to me, okay?"

Lila nodded and Kendrix took her hand. "Come on, girls. We're going to be late." She kissed Leo lightly before she and the girls left.

Damon stood to go into the garage and get started tuning Leo's motorcycle, his first job of the day. "well, send 'em back as they come, buddy."

"Will do." Leo moved behind the counter and watched as a blonde man parked his bike outside. "Here they come."

X Silver City X

"Jen! Jen, where are you? We gotta go." Wes walked through the halls of his house, looking for his wife. "Come on!"

"Coming! Is Sky ready?" Jen's voice floated out of the bedroom. "Are _you_ ready?"

Wes yanked at his red vest and black tuxedo jacket. "Yes, we're both ready. Now, come on. Eric and Taylor's wedding starts in an hour. We're gonna be late."

Just then, Jen Collins stepped into the hallway and Wes felt his heart slip into an irregular rhythm. "Whoa," he breathed.

"Does it look good?" Jen ran her hands down the silky smoothness of her deep red dress. Since she was a bridesmaid and Wes a groomsman, their outfits matched.

"Babe, you look stunning." Wes pulled her close and planted a kiss on her cheek. "Sky's downstairs. Let's go."

The two former Time Force Rangers walked down the stairs to find their six-year-old son, Sky, waiting at the bottom, decked out in a tiny Time Force uniform.

"Wes!" Jen exclaimed, exasperated. "He can't wear that to a wedding!" She knelt down in front of her son. "Schylur Tate, you know you are supposed to be dressed up for Eric's wedding. Why aren't you in the tuxedo Mommy bought you?"

Sky shrugged and pulled his tiny Time Force blaster from the holster at his side. "It's a Power Ranger marrying a Power Ranger, Mommy. I thought everyone would be wearing uniforms." He pointed the blaster at Jen. "Where's your suit, Mommy?"

Jen sighed. "Sky, you need to go change, right now. We're late." She cast a glare at Wes. "Why didn't you stop him?" she asked as Sky stamped his foot and turned to run back up the stairs.

Wes raised his hands in a 'not-me' gesture. "He had his tux on five minutes ago. This is not my fault."

Jen raked her fingers through her hair. "We're going to be late. You know that, right? We're going to be late."

X Mariner Bay X

Carter was finally going to live out his dream. Not that being a Ranger hadn't been awesome, but this was a dream he'd had for a long time. And it was finally time for him to live it out. He was going to be a fire chief.

There was supposed to be some kind of celebration after the awarding of the promotion but Carter hoped it wouldn't be too crazy. He wasn't big on parties. But, his wife and daughter would be there so he guessed it would be all right. And, he supposed, most of the other Rangers would be there as well.

"Carter, you ready?"

Speaking of other Rangers…Dana's brother and Carter's brother-in-law, Ryan, poked his head around the doorjamb. He was dressed in a Lightspeed uniform and wore a ball cap pulled low over his face.

"Worried someone might recognize you?" Carter joked. Ryan typically wore ball caps when he went into Mariner Bay but never pulled so low.

Ryan ignored the question and asked again, "You ready? We gotta get moving."

Carter took one last look in the mirror and fixed his jacket. "Yeah. Let's get this show on the road."

"Where's my namesake?" Ryan asked, referring to Carter's two-and-a-half year old daughter, Ryan.

"With Dana. They are going to meet us at the ceremony. Dana said she had to run some errands on the way." Carter adjusted his outfit one more time and then followed Ryan from the room.

X Reefside X

Kira and her husband, Trent, sat in Cyberspace Café, waiting for her band to show up. _Connor and Dr. O should be here soon,_ Kira thought,_ and it'll be good to get to see them again. I just wish Ethan could have come._ She glanced over to where her almost three-year-old daughter, Connor, slept. She and Trent had had the hardest time naming the little girl before they decided on a name that honored one of their best friends.

Hayley had volunteered to watch Connor while Kira's band played. Ever since Kira's latest album had gone platinum, she'd been on tour and so it was a special treat to come back home. And an equally special treat to have the weekend "off" so that she could enjoy being with her friends. It would be just like old times, only no creepos trying to turn the world back to dinosaur time. Of course, if her band didn't show up in the next few minutes, she'd go Ptera on their butts…

Just then, Connor and Tommy Oliver entered the room. Both looked different than the last time Kira had seen them. A woman followed Connor, a woman Kira had seen before, once, back when they'd met up with the Ninja Storm Rangers one last time after their teamup against Lothor. The woman wasn't a Ninja Storm ranger but she was a friend of theirs. Her name was Kelly and she had run the sporting goods store near Ocean Bluff. Judging by the rock on her finger and the boy who walked between her and Connor, Kira was willing to bet that Connor had followed through on his promise of getting to know her.

"Ok, Paul, you go hang out with Hayley, ok? Don't wake Connor up." Connor grinned at Kira as his son ran off. "I never get tired of you having named her for me."

"Hey, Dr. O. What's cracking?" Trent asked. "Where's Kat? You popped the question yet?"

It surprised all of them that Dr. Oliver hadn't asked Kat to marry him yet but they knew he'd ask when he thought the time was right. Tommy rolled his eyes. "Jason just asked me that question two hours ago over the phone. Seems since he and Kim are happy and their son and daughter are happy, I should be married too."

Kira laughed. "Fine, Dr. O. We won't mention it if you don't want us to." She leaned back. "Just wish you could be as happy as us."

X Ocean Bluff X

Lily and Casey walked hand in hand down the halls of their old Pai Zhuq Academy. They hadn't been married long, only a few months but they already had a family.

"Are you sure this was the right thing to do, Case?" Lily asked. She didn't want to question her best friend and love of her life but she wanted to make sure he believed in what they were doing. What they were going to do.

"Yes, I am. Jon and Luke need this chance. We can't hold them back forever. You know Jon has the Spirit of the Panther. Well, the panther is pushing him. And Luke has the spirit of the Tiger, like me. The tiger won't let him rest. We knew, Lil, when we adopted them two months ago, that this time would come. They're twelve. They're ready."

Lily looked at him. "But are we ready? To give them up to the Pai Zhuq masters to maybe never see them again or at least not for a long time?"

Casey laughed. "Lily, we're the Masters we're turning them over to. We'll see them every day."

"But not like now. Not when Jon wants French toast and Luke wants Cheerios. Not like this. Casey, what if we're doing something wrong?"

"We just have to believe that we're doing the right thing, Lily and everything will work out. Now Dom is supposed to be bringing them to the chamber any minute. I have to get ready." Casey lengthened his stride and Lily was forced to do the same to keep up.

X The Lair X

The two combatants sprang apart. They were breathing slightly heavily but not too much. The man breathed easier than the woman, but that was to be expected. They knew what would be expected of them in the coming hours and they knew that it wouldn't be easy. But they would do what they had to do to preserve the timeline, all of them.

The leader approached her. "You're sure that this is what we have to do?" he asked. He wasn't doubting, just asking. She'd brought him back just for this and he knew it. He'd do whatever she told him to do and he'd see what happened to those who meddled with time.

"Your operators are standing by?" she asked, calmly, quietly. This was her role, to play the one at ease. A role that came easily to her.

He inclined his head slightly. "They are. Each has been briefed. They know what to do. Some of them, though, milady, some of them show signs of weakness. I am not sure they will do what they have to, not when it counts."

She stared into his dark eyes. "They had better. Or the future will end here."

**Author's Note: What'd you think? Please read and review and let me know. Not sure where this is going but a plot bunny hopped into my head and I decided to follow the trail. This is where it led me. Major stuff happening in the next chapter. Get ready and hold on!**


	2. Future Reckoning

She looked at the clock. The clock was counting down. Less than twenty minutes to go, now. Finally, she allowed a small grin to creep onto her face. The leader of the team approached her. He wore his disguise and she smiled when she saw that. He wasn't taking any chances; that was good.

"Ma'am, we're ready and standing by." He announced. "Just give the word."

"Get into place." She whispered. Her gaze followed him as he moved to his seven-member team. She had tried to keep the numbers as small as possible but this was the bare minimum.

"Wait," she called, quietly, knowing that even the barest whisper would get his attention. He turned back to her. "The device is ready for you?"

He nodded and held up a small black box. "It should do its job."

"You know the plan. You have ten minutes to bring them here. Then ten minutes to get into place. And, you know the deal. You cannot be seen." She pointed a finger at him. He scowled and nodded.

Then, as his team watched, he pressed a button on the box and disappeared in a shimmering blue light. She laughed. _The end is here._

X Newtech City. Future Times. X

Sky did not want to be going where he was going. If his son and daughter weren't making him go and if his wife wasn't pulling him along by the hand, he would be in his office, looking over reports of the training exercises from yesterday. Instead, he was on his way to torture.

"Syd, is this really necessary? You know I don't want to go." Sky complained. He dragged his heels and shook his head. "I have a lot to do."

His blonde wife of ten years turned to look back at him. She grinned. "I know, that's why you need this. Come on, Sky. It's your birthday! Be happy." She skipped back to him and kissed him on the cheek. "Don't make me order you to have fun."

Collin, his son, and Kari, his daughter, both laughed. "Yeah, Mom, like you can order the Commander of SPD Earth to go to a party." Collin joked. "You're just the retired Pink Power Ranger. That doesn't give you any privileges."

"No one wants to celebrate turning thirty-five, Syd. That's close to forty. Which is close to fifty. Which is really, really old. I never should have married someone younger than me. You just aren't aging as fast as I am." Sky smiled at his kids. "And you two!" he exclaimed. "You're ten years old. That's getting older and older and older."

"It's just a party, Dad. And it's just your friends. Jack, Bridge, Z, us and the Crugers. Oh and Dr. Manx and Boom. But that's it, Dad. That's not too bad." Kari took his hand and pulled, causing him to jog for a few steps.

As the happy family kept walking towards SPD headquarters in Newtech City, the leader of the insertion team materialized a few feet behind them. The figure wore a dark cloak over his uniform, protecting his identity, adhering to instructions. He crept along behind the four Tates, waiting for the right moment. A quick glance at his watch indicated thirty seconds until time.

Sky turned to Syd. "Whose idea was this anyway? I want that person brought up on charges. Insubordination. They'll be cleaning the Zords till they die." He bared his teeth and growled at his kids, who laughed.

"It was my idea, Dad!" Collin shouted. "I thought-"

That was as far as he got before he shimmered and disappeared in a burst of green light. Sky blinked several times before his brain registered what had just happened. He turned in a circle and his hand went instinctively to his hip for a blaster that wasn't there. "Collin!" he shouted, squashing the panic that rose in his chest. "COLLIN!" he screamed again.

Syd gripped his arm. "Sky, where is he?" Her nails dug into his arm. "Where is he?"

Now Sky wished he'd brought his morpher with him. But no, this was a party and he'd left it at home. With his blaster. "I don't know! Kari, get close to me." He wasn't going to lose his daughter.

She looked at him and, tears running down her face, picked up her foot to step closer to him. Her foot never landed. Before Sky's eyes, before he could do anything, she, too, vanished in a shimmer of light.

"Kari!" he howled. _What is going on?_ He whirled in a circle, looking for the source of the light, the source of the attacks. His spin brought him around just in time to see Syd fading in a wash of emerald sparks.

Now he was alone. He pulled out his communicator and tapped in Bridge's number. But, before the call connected, he saw the trees around him disappearing.

_My family…_was the last thought he had before Newtech City faded completely.

X Reefside X

The boy popping into existence inside Hayley's Cyberspace Café was not a typical occurrence. Neither was the girl or the woman or the man who appeared boom, boom, boom, one right after the other. Kira and Trent watched, stunned, as four people just materialized out of nowhere inside the café.

The blonde man dropped into a crouch as soon as he appeared, his hands folded into fists. After a second, he waved a hand in front of himself and the other three, who stood behind him, and a shimmering blue field or something appeared in front of him.

"That's weird," Trent whispered. He slipped off of his barstool and approached the foursome. "Hi." He said slowly. "I'm Trent. Who are you?"

"Why did you bring us here?" the man asked, straightening to stare Trent in the face. His field thing didn't dissipate and Trent kept clear of it, cautious about what might happen if he got too close. "Speak, stranger. What do you want with me and my family?"

Trent raised his hands. "We didn't bring you here. And you're lucky that the five of us are the only ones who were in here – we're used to this kind of thing. Anyone else would have freaked." He paused before continuing. "I'm Trent Fernandez. This is my wife, Kira," he pointed at each person as he said their names, "Tommy Oliver, Connor and Kelly McKnight."

The woman laid a hand on the man's arm and Trent was surprised to see that it radiated a metallic sheen. She locked gazes with Trent. "I'm Sydney Tate. This is Sky Tate and our kids, Collin and Kari. Where are we and who are you?"

Tommy stood and approached the newcomers. "You're in Reefside." He threw a quick glance at Connor, who shrugged. "We're Power Rangers. Or at least, we were."

Sky's eyes widened. "I've heard about you," he said. "Bridge Carson told me about you, Kira."

Kira cocked her head. "You know Bridge?" Suddenly, she smacked her hand on the tabletop. "Of course! You must be SPD Rangers. Bridge mentioned you guys. But what are you doing here?"

Just then, the little boy broke in. Kira figured him to be about nine, maybe eight years old. "Dad, I'm hungry. What's going on?"

Trent laughed. "Well, Mr. Tate, if you trust us, my daughter and Connor's son are in the back with the owner of this place, Hayley. There's plenty of food and games back there if your son and daughter would like to join in."

Sky glanced around the place and sighed. "Fine. Collin, you keep an eye on your sister, okay?"

Collin nodded and he and Kari ran off to the back. Sky and Syd took seats at the table. Syd spoke first.

"So you guys are Power Rangers?" she asked. Kira noticed that her hand was a normal, peachy color again. A large, very large rock glistened on her finger. Syd caught her looking and grinned.

Connor nodded. "We are. Well, all of us except Kelly here. We were the Dino Thunder Power Rangers but that was a long time ago. Eight years." He glanced at his watch. "We're actually waiting on some other former Power Rangers to show up, believe it or not. What are you guys doing here?"

Sky shook his head. "We don't know. We were on our way to a party and then Collin disappeared. Kari and Syd and I were transported soon after and we ended up here. I don't know why and I don't know how we're going to get back to Newtech City." He wrapped an arm around his wife. "I just wanna know what's going on."

Before Trent or anyone could answer, the door swung open again and three people walked in, one holding a bundle in their arms.

"Xander, Nick, Madison! Glad you could make it," Kira exclaimed. She jumped to her feet and gave each a hug, then peered into the bundle in Madison's arms. "He's so little!"

"He'll be six months next Friday." Madison Russell grinned at her husband, Nick. Then she looked around the mainly deserted Café. "Where's the band? I thought the set was starting soon. We thought we'd be late."

Kira shrugged as she cooed over the baby. "Not here yet. But we got some unexpected guests." She waved a hand at Sky and Syd. "Meet Sky and Syd Tate. SPD Rangers from the future. We're not sure why they're here yet but they're here."

"How's the label doing, Xan?" Trent asked the Australian man. Xander Bly had recently turned the reins of the Rock Porium over to Nick and started an independent recording label. Kira Ford-Fernandez was one of his top artists, along with Kimberly Hart and Tanya Sloan. His indie label was fast making its way up the charts.

Xander shrugged. "As good as can be expected, I suppose." He stuck out a hand to Sky. "Name's Xander. Nice to meet you. This is Madison and Russell and my god-child, Lee."

The three newcomers took a seat and Kira offered to take Lee to Hayley so he wouldn't be bothered by the music. Madison shook her head. "Thanks, but I'll keep him with me, at least for now."

The nine ex-Rangers and one wife of an ex-Ranger fell to talking and Kira spared but a thought for the whereabouts of her missing band.

X Preparations X Everywhere X

She had sent them out. They knew their duty and they knew what would happen to the future if they failed here. They would not make a mistake and they would not let anything stop them. It all ended here.

Her minions were nearly in place, all of them now making their way to the target locations. The leader had come back from his mission to issue the final orders not ten minutes ago. All of the minions, all of the team members knew where he had been and knew why he had gone where he had gone. They assumed his mission had gone successfully but they did not know for sure. That was not something they were told.

"I know this seems wrong," he had said, the leader had said as they prepared to move out. "I know you thought this could not happen again. But you have to step up, now. You've heard what will take place if we don't act. This is something we have to do and we have to do it today. This time. She has said it and she has given us proof. Be careful, friends. Rendezvous here, missions accomplished, in thirty minutes. Good luck." It was supposed to be a pep talk. Then the team had split to go their separate ways.

One minion looked both ways before exiting the woods. He checked behind him to make sure his package was secure. It was so he crouched low in the bushes and edged forward. His foot caught a twig and the snap echoed in the silence. He froze, waiting to see if there was anyone nearby, anyone who could see him, notice him, report him. Nothing moved so he continued his forward motion. At last, he could see his destination before him. The waterfall cascaded over the rocks and splashed into the pool below. The minion reached into his pocket and pulled out a black box, with just one red button on it. He placed his finger on the button and waited for the countdown to end.

The second minion made her way across the busy plaza, keeping to the shadows. She passed a bakery and didn't let the smell of freshly baked rolls distract her. A strand of hair flitted across her face. Quickly, she pushed it back into her ponytail and ducked under an overhang across from the repair shop. _I have to get closer_, she decided and looked for a hiding place. A bike, conveniently parked in the shadows in front of the shop provided the perfect spot. The minion dashed across the street and knelt behind the motorcycle. She clutched her device close and looked at the two buttons. One she wasn't to press until after this task was done. She placed her finger on the other button and waited for the countdown to end.

It felt weird to the third minion to be hiding outside of a church but those were her orders and she would not break them now. She sat on a park bench across the street, a newspaper on her lap but she wasn't reading. She could hear the processional music from her seat – the front doors of the church were open. They were making this so easy for her. She swiped a tear from her eye. This was something she had to do, much as she didn't want to. In a sudden burst of anger, she shoved the newspaper from her lap. Then, she pulled the remote from her pocket. Two buttons. One big, one small. One for now, one for later. She placed her finger on the small button and waited for the countdown to end.

The firehouse was busy. The fourth minion sat in his car outside. The car wasn't his, technically speaking. It had become his after he had hot-wired it outside the Piggly Wiggly down the street. He slammed a fist against the dashboard. He wasn't sure where his anger was directed at but he knew that there were many different targets for his rage to focus on. The ones he had come for were inside now. It would be so easy when the time finally came. Quick and painless. For him. For them, well, that wasn't something he allowed himself to think about. He watched, and waited. Finally, he angrily yanked the black device from his coat pocket and looked from the yellow button to the red. He held his thumb over the red button and waited for the countdown to end.

The ancient structure had been an academy for years and before that, well, no one knew what it had been before that. The fifth minion lay on his stomach in the tall grass just beyond the courtyard. A few students sparred in pairs but those the minion had come for were not in evidence. He knew it was just a matter of time. He had done his research and he was ready. He squirmed and pushed the grass down in front of his face so that he could see. It wouldn't do for his vision to be obscured at the right moment. Awkwardly, he managed to extricate the jet black remote and push it in front of his face. Just as he heard voices coming from both sides of the Academy, he laid his finger on the prominent button and waited for the countdown to end.

Two minions waited in the alley. They were assisted by the leader who'd shown up minutes before. The two minions didn't know what to think about that. They thought they'd done a good job so far. Four dead band members lay at their feet. They had been easy to kill, not suspecting a thing. Small twinges of "wrongness" had assailed the minions as they took lives but they had forced themselves past those feelings. There was no room for error on this mission. Now, the leader leaned around the corner and looked at the target location, his finger on the button on the remote. The two minions removed their remotes as well, got into position and waited for the countdown to end.

Countdown…

0:05 seconds

0:04

0:03

0:02

0:01

0:00

**Author's Note: A little short, I know but hopefully it will get longer! Please read and review!**


	3. Waves of Pain

The countdown reached zero and eight minions pressed the first button. Then, simultaneously, each one punched the second button. All eight vanished in a shimmery light.

* * Silver City * *

Wes stood beside Eric at the front of the church. "Eric. Stop fidgeting." The processional music began to play and Wes returned his attention to the back of the church. _I never thought I'd see Eric married. Poor kid's been putting off women since before I can remember. But I so called this, that first mission against the Mut-Orgs. They were destined to be together._

The doors at the back opened and Nadira and Lucas made their way down the aisle. Nadira wore a pale pink dress that matched her pink hair and pink nails. Her husband of two years, Lucas Kendall, wore a tuxedo with a bright blue vest. His hair was carefully spiked - Wes knew he had probably spent hours gelling his hair that morning.

Next to come down the aisle were Katie and Max. Katie's dress swept the ground as she walked, the bright yellow fabric swirling around her feet. She carried a small spray of yellow roses and her black curls were pulled back from her face with a pale yellow ribbon. Max Cooper, like Lucas, wore a black tuxedo with a bright blue vest. A grin stretched across his face and he tossed a thumbs-up at Eric.

Following them were Jen and Danny. Wes almost wolf-whistled when he caught sight of his wife again. He was puzzled for a minute - she was wearing a different dress than when she had left the house. The dress was bright pink, not hot pink, but bright pink. Jen wore pink eyeshadow that enhanced her natural beauty - at least in Wes' opinion. Her brown hair was done up in an elegant bun and she giggled when Wes winked at her. Danny's tuxedo was complete with a black vest. Jen's arm was looped through his and he seemed to be taking the tiniest steps ever. _Perhaps he doesn't want to leave her behind_, Wes thought wryly.

After Jen and Danny came Princess Shayla and Merrick. Princess Shayla wore the white dress that she always wore - at least Wes had never seen her in anything else. White flowers adorned her dark hair and trailed from the hem of her dress. Merrick strode purposefully at her side, wearing a tuxedo with a silver vest. He didn't wear shoes and neither did Shayla. _Wonder if they decided on that together?_

Alyssa was next as the Maid of Honor. She wore a light pink gown and white and pink flowers in her hair. There wasn't a guy with her and Wes wondered if it had been planned that way. Come to think of it…where was Trip? Probably flaking again.

The flowergirl was the daughter of one of Taylor's Air Force buddies. Sky was the ringbearer. And then, after the two kids reached the front, Cole came down the aisle, Taylor on his arm. Cole wore a tuxedo that matched Wes', black with a red vest. Wes wasn't sure he'd ever get used to the other Red Ranger's severely close-cropped haircut. Taylor's dress was pale yellow, nearly white, just a hint at the color. Her blonde hair was swept up with yellow flowers. Her bouquet was yellow and red roses. Wes glanced over at Eric and saw an ear-to-ear grin splitting his face.

Taylor and Cole were halfway down the aisle when Taylor screamed. Wes watched, dumbfounded, as she fell to her knees, her scream unending. Then, even as he watched her, a wave of agony crashed through his own body. He collapsed like a puppet with its strings cut. His mouth opened in a wordless scream. He clamped his arms around his stomach, hoping to distill the pain. In a corner of his mind, he registered the sounds of more people screaming. With vain hope, Wes pulled his morpher to his face.

"Time for, Time Force!" he gasped.

His back arched as a new surge of pain, harsher than the last, swept through his very core. He struggled to regain control of his limbs but nothing doing. Gasping for breath, he forced his head up and looked around.

Eric lay on the ground beside him, limbs spazzing. Jen, Lucas, Alyssa, Katie, Max, Danny and Cole were all in various supine positions, all screaming. Wes didn't see Merrick before he returned his attention to himself. Princess Shayla stood over Cole.

"Cole, Cole, what's wrong?" she shouted. He didn't respond.

With no small degree of difficulty, Wes dragged himself to his knees and crawled to Jen. Her dress was ripped and her hair had fallen from its elegant bun. He reached out a shaking hand and touched her face. She looked up at him, fear and pain in her eyes.

"What's happening?" she whispered.

"I don't know." Wes replied, his mind focusing on Jen and not on his pain. "I just-"

At that moment, before the words were out of his mouth, the pain vanished. Wes' body still felt as if it had been run through the wringer but the searing pain was gone. Wes looked at Eric, who stared back at him.

"Wow. That was crazy." After a moment of trying to get to his feet, Wes decided it was useless and settled for rising to his knees.

"Yeah, but what was it?" Eric asked.

"I have…no idea." Wes admitted. "Whatever it was, I'm just glad it's over."

Eric scowled. "Or is it?"

* * Sky * *

Sky didn't know why his stomach was killing him but it had hurt so bad, he'd run out of the church and to the bathroom. Then, when everyone started screaming, he'd been scared, so he'd hidden right where he was.

But then one of the minions showed up and told Sky he'd make the pain go away. Sky, grateful for the promise, went with the minion and they left the church together.

** Miranoi * *

Leo sat behind the counter of Galaxy Bike Repair Shop when the door opened and Mike and Kai came in. Both men wore Terra Venture uniforms and sidearms holstered at their hips. A lazy smile stretched across Kai's face.

"How's the repair business coming along?" Kai asked.

"Fine," Leo shrugged. "We've repaired six bikes so far. Damon and his team are doing a great job back there. Terra Venture's loss is my gain, that's for sure." He squinted at Kai. "What brings you two out here anyway?"

"Commander Stanton wants you and Damon to consider-" Mike broke off as a grimace contorted his face. "Oh, wow. Man, that hurt."

"What's wrong? Don't you dare blow chunks in here, pal." Leo stood to move towards his brother when a torrent of pain drove him to his knees. He groaned and bit his lip to keep from screaming. His teeth punched straight through the softness of his lips, producing a stream of blood. A scream filled his eardrums and he turned his head to see Kai, twisting and jerking on the floor, literally foaming at the mouth.

Then, as suddenly as the pain had come, it vanished. Leo's lip still bled as he climbed shakily to his feet and blood still gushed from a gash on Kai's forehead and Leo still felt as if he'd been run over by a truck, but the excruciating pain was gone. Mike remained on his hands and knees up against the counter. Leo's sides heaved as he tried to catch his breath.

"What…the heck…was that?" Leo asked.

Kai shook his head. "No idea. Whatever it was, it got us both. Something to do with Ranger stuff, you think?"

"Could be." Mike grunted through clenched teeth.

"Can't be. We put the Sabers back years ago. I haven't touched mine since the Forever Red mission." Before Leo could say anything else, his phone rang. He checked the readout. "It's Kendrix."

Kai sat back and cupped his chin in his hands and Mike forced himself to his feet as Leo answered the phone. Leo spoke slowly, trying not to sound pained. "Hey, babe, what's up? Uh-huh," he shot the other two an incredulous stare, "Really? You and Maya? Are you guys okay?" Pause. "Hit me too. And Mike and Kai…no, I don't know, he's in the garage. Okay, see you in a bit."

He hung up and walked to the garage bay door. Opening it, he called, "Damon! Hey, Damon! You okay in there?" There was no answer. Leo looked around, "Damon?" Still no reply.

Kai moved to stand behind Leo. "Maybe he went for lunch or something. So, what did Kendrix say?"

Leo shut the door. "She and Maya felt the same things. Intense pain. They're on their way here."

"So it _must_ be Ranger related." Mike said.

"I don't know, Kai. I simply don't know." Leo whispered.

* *Lila & Jessie * *

Lila and Jessie were in school when they both got stomachaches. Luckily, the minion was there and picked them up early, promising to make the ache go away…

* * Mariner Bay * *

Carter Grayson had been promoted. The promotion ceremony was short, truth be told, but that was okay with him. He didn't like to have a big deal made out of him. _Although,_ he mused, _if it had taken longer there might not have been any time for this stupid party._

"Come on, Carter! This is a party! Dance, have fun!" Joel Rawlings, erstwhile Sky Cowboy, pulled on Carter's arm. Joel's wife, Angela Fairweather-Rawlings, was dancing without him in the middle of the room. Carter sighed.

"I don't want to, Joel. I don't dance." Carter scowled. He looked around for Dana and his daughter but they were nowhere to be seen. "Hey," he turned back to Joel, "you seen Dana and Ryan? My Ryan?"

Joel pointed behind him. "Dana's over there, with Kelsey. I think Ryan Mitchell took Ryan Grayson outside for a minute. At least, they were together the last time I saw them."

Carter clapped Joel on the back. "Thanks, man. Now you go dance with your wife." He moved off towards Dana and made it about three steps before searing pain filled his every cell and dropped him to the ground like a load of bricks.

Despite himself, Carter screamed. His head bashed again and again against the floor as he found he couldn't control the spasms of his limbs. Something wet trickled down his face but he couldn't bring his hands up to see what it was, though he had a pretty good idea. Fog fell over his brain and he couldn't think but that didn't block out the other screams in the room, the other sounds.

"Joel, Joel, what is it? What's going on?" Mrs. Fairweather-Rawlings' voice rose higher and higher.

"Dana, sweetheart, what's wrong? Someone do something!" Captain Mitchell shouted. Something crashed.

Long undulating screams filled the whole room. Carter couldn't hold on to his coherent thought. He closed his eyes and just tried, desperately, to keep from injuring himself too much.

Then, before Carter could pass out, the agony was gone. He had a killer headache and, now that he put his fingers to his face, blood covering the left side of his forehead, but the pain that had threatened to burst his cells open was gone. It left behind but a shadow of what had been.

Carter dragged himself to his knees. His vision swam and he swayed. Using all his firefighter and Ranger training, he forced himself to focus on the other people in the room. Joel lay on the floor, his cowboy hat twisted in his hands. Blood leaked from the corner of his mouth. Kelsey was curled into a fetal position near the buffet table, her fingers scrabbling uselessly against the floor. Dana sat cross-legged beside the DJ, her arms clamped around her stomach, tears running down her face. Captain Mitchell ran here and there, shouting for answers. Angela Fairweather-Rawlings knelt beside Joel, offering him a glass of punch.

Slowly, with every inch costing him a pint of blood - or so it seemed, - Carter crawled over to Dana. "You okay, babe?" he asked.

She looked up at him, fear evident in her eyes. "What was that?"

Kelsey had pulled herself over to them as well. "Yeah, Mr. Fire Chief," she gasped, "what the heck was that? Ranger stuff? Bansheera can't be back, can she?"

Carter shook his head, flinging droplets of blood onto the white tablecloth nearby. "No, can't be."

Joel spoke up from across the room. "Well, we better figure it out quick. I ain't never felt that much pain before and I don't ever want to feel it again."

* * Ryan * *

Ryan Grayson wasn't prone to headaches and so when this one came on, she thought she might die. For a four-year-old, that wasn't such a crazy idea. Her head had never hurt so bad!

So when the minion offered to take her to her parents, she grabbed his hand and only asked one thing - could he make the pain go away?

* * Blue Bay Harbor * *

Hunter hadn't wanted any part of the fake blood battle that Tori and Blake were having and so had left about five minutes ago.

"Blake, do you ever miss being a Ranger?" Tori asked, blood dripping from her fingers. She lay back on the floor and rested her head in her husband's lap. Reaching up, she smeared some blood across his face. "I mean, really. Do you miss it? The battles, the suits, the weapons, all that?"

It took him a minute to respond. "Kinda, sometimes, I guess. I mean, we were the heroes back then, Tor. Everyone looked to us to save Blue Bay Harbor. But it's kinda nice to be able to just do what we want to do. Motocross, surfing, running the shop, keeping up with a five-year-old kid." Blake rubbed his fingers through Tori's hair, leaving a red streak behind.

"Hunter is a handful, isn't she?" Tori laughed. "But we wouldn't trade her for the world, would we?"

Before Blake could respond, pain like he had never felt before raced through his veins. It felt like he was going to explode. His body jerked and convulsed and Tori fell off his lap onto the floor.

"Hey, what-" she started to shout before her angry reply became a bloodcurdling scream. Her head slammed into the low table in the center of Ninja Ops but Blake didn't have the spare brain cells to worry about his wife. All his attention was focused on himself. His nerve endings were on fire.

Moving as little as he could, he crawled to the small, locked cabinet beneath the computer and input the code. He screamed, unable to hold it in any longer. His scream went on and on as he pulled the door open. Inside rested six morphers. As quickly as he was able, he grabbed his Thunder Morpher and brought it to his mouth.

"Thunder Storm, Ranger form." He called and new agonies surged through his body. New pain welled up inside his very core. The morpher fell from his twitching hand and clattered to the ground.

And then. It was over. The pain simply vanished. Blake grabbed hold of the table and pulled himself shakily to his knees. Tori did the same and Blake noticed real blood mingling with the fake blood in her hair.

"What…was…that?" Tori asked, gasping for breath.

As Blake opened his mouth to respond, Tori's cell phone rang. She answered it and said, sides still heaving, "Hello?"

A moment later, she went on. "Yeah, me and Blake. Real bad. Not fun at all. I don't know, he left. Yeah, see you in a few."

She turned to Blake and pushed her hair out of her face with a weary hand. "That was Shane. He and Dustin were at the shop. Hit them too. They're coming here."

Blake had picked up his morpher and was staring at it. Slowly, he raised his head to look at Tori. "Tor, my morpher didn't work. It made it worse."

"What does that mean?" she whispered.

"I don't know. I wish I did. Something tells me we're going to need them, real soon."

* * Hunter * *

Hunter Hanson-Bradley was a good swimmer. She surfed all the time with her Mommy. But, when the stomachache came on all of a sudden, she lost her grip on the small surfboard and hit her head on the board as it floated past her. Next thing she knew, she was caught in the tide, floating away from the beach.

The minion was watching though, jumped in and swam after her, saving her. He brought her back to the shore and promised to make it all better. She collapsed into his arms, exhausted and didn't even put up a fight when he carried her away from her little board.

* * Ocean Bluff * *

Casey and Lily entered the sparring arena of the Pai Zhuq Academy. The only other one present in the room was Dominic. A few years ago, after he and Fran had finished backpacking through Europe, he had returned to teach the Rhino technique at the Academy. He would be helping Casey and Lily to test Jon and Luke.

"Hey, Dom. What's up?" Lily asked as she gave him a quick hug. Casey clapped the jokester on the back.

"Nothin' much. Your kids ready for this?" Dom chuckled. "You guys, married and with kids. I can't say I ever saw that one coming. Always thought you guys were more like brother and sister than anything else."

Casey rolled his eyes. "I know. You've told us that multiple times. So has Theo and RJ. Speaking of RJ," he looked around, "have you seen him? He's supposed to be here to help with the testing."

Dominic shook his head. "I haven't. But shouldn't this-"

He cut off abruptly and screamed. Pain contorted his features and Casey stared, dumbfounded for a split second, as his friend collapsed to the ground. Then, agony struck his own body, tormented his own cells and he didn't have the energy to spare for Dom, or for Lily as he saw her fall to the ground. His heels slammed again and again into the ground as his legs flailed around, seemingly with a mind of their own. Casey clapped his hands around his head, trying to stop the ringing in his ears, the waves of pain crashing through his head.

Lily was screaming and Casey wanted to help her, wanted to go to her, but he couldn't force his limbs to move like he wanted them to. Then, like the sun breaking from behind the clouds, the pain was gone. Heaving deep breaths, gasping for air, Casey dragged himself to his knees. He looked around. Dominic lay on his side, his fingers raking through his hair. Lily sat against the far wall, her head in her hands. Casey thought he saw tears pouring down her face and wasn't surprised. He thought maybe he had tears on his own cheeks.

"You two okay?" he managed to ask in between sucking in deep breaths.

"Could be better," Dom muttered. He threw in some choice words. "What was that?"

Casey shook his head. "I don't have the foggiest idea."

Lily looked up and at the two men. "Well, we better figure it out and quick. Who knows when that might happen again?"

* * Jon and Luke * *

Jon and Luke were busy meditating and getting ready for their trials when intense pain hit them. It was gone in less than thirty seconds but the lingering effects had them wondering if they'd be able to focus enough to do their best in their individual tests.

So when the minion came in and told them it was time and he would help them focus before the trials, they eagerly took him up on it and left with him.

* * Reefside * *

Trent had offered to take Lee, Nick and Madison's son, into the back room to Hayley so that the adults could enjoy the music that Kira and her band were going to play. He said he'd be right back and so Kira didn't worry about him as much as she was worrying about her band and where the heck they were. Tommy and Sky and Syd were busy talking about different Ranger techniques and Tommy was trying to get them to tell him about their genetic powers. Connor, Kelly, Nick and Madison were engaged in a heated discussion about some sports team. And Xander and Kira were busy talking about upcoming shows.

"I think we should do another tour," Xander took a sip of his smoothie. "Only without any kind of headline band."

Kira frowned. "No headline? What kind of tour is that?"

"One where you, Tanya and Kim would all be equal. The other two are already signed on. We just-"

A high scream cut him off. He and Kira whipped around to see Madison plummet from her high chair to the ground, screaming all the while. Before she even hit the ground, Nick shouted in pain as well and also fell to the ground.

"Wha-" Kira started to say before the pain hit her as well. She felt as if she had stuck her finger into an electrical socket, or maybe her tongue. She gripped the tabletop, trying to keep herself in her seat. Vaguely, she noticed that Xander was vibrating in his seat, his mouth open in a wordless scream.

Sky and Syd were in pain too. Sky's forcefield hovered in the air in front of him, crackling and flickering. Syd's hand went from diamond to flesh to diamond to flesh. Both had their teeth clenched, refusing to scream.

Tommy, using all the strength given him by his years as a Power Ranger, stayed upright in his seat. The tightness of his face, the paleness of his cheeks and the whiteness of his knuckles were all that belied his inner torment.

Kelly leaned over Connor. "Connor! What's going on?"

Syd, in a moment of clarity, reached for her Delta Morpher. "SPD, emergency!" she gasped. Her back arched as new winds of pain erupted in gales from every cell of her body. "Sky!" she screamed, "Make it stop!"

No sooner did "stop" emerge from her mouth than the pain was gone. The eight former Power Rangers sat or lay gasping for breath. Tommy looked around. No one seemed badly hurt, though nearly all sported gashes and cuts.

"Tommy." Kira looked up at her old professor. "What was that?"

Tommy shook his head. "I wish I could tell you, Kira. I really do."

* * Lee, Connor, Paul, Collin & Kari * *

Six-month-old Lee screamed when a sudden pain clenched his stomach. Connor, in her three-year-old way, tried to make the baby feel better but soon cried out herself when a wicked headache hit her full-force. Paul, Connor's son, did his best to soothe both younger kids but nothin' doing. Plus, he felt like he was going to throw up anyway. The two newcomers, Collin and Kari, didn't know what to do but their stomachs had never hurt so much either.

The two minions and the leader entered the back of the Cyberspace Café and promised to make the pain go away. All five kids eagerly took them up on their offer and followed them from the room. Connor took the hand of the shortest minion.

* * Elsewhere * *

She watched, as her plan unfolded perfectly. "And so it begins," she whispered.


	4. Nowhere to be Found

Jen looked around. "Sky!" she called. "Sky, where are you?" She pushed herself to her feet and stumbled over to Wes. "I can't find Sky!" she cried.

Wes blinked. "Jen, there's a lot of people in here. He probably didn't know what to do or what was going on and is hiding somewhere." He placed his hands on her shoulders. "Let me look at your injuries."

She brushed him off. "Hiding? He's five! He doesn't hide. What if whatever got us got him? He could be bleeding, unconscious or worse. We have to find him."

Finally, Wes nodded. "Okay, but let's just calm down first, all right? He's around here somewhere." He walked slowly over to the first row of pews, where mostly shocked and nervous guests sat. Bending down, he peered under them. "Sky, it's ok. We're ok. You can come out."

By now, other Rangers were looking too. Eric and Taylor searched the choir loft. Shayla, Cole and Katie hunted in the lobbies off the sanctuary. Danny, Max and Lucas helped Jen and Wes look around the church pews.

As they searched, Danny asked Lucas, "Where was Trip? Wasn't he supposed to be here?"

Lucas shrugged. "Kid got sick. Even though he can see the future, guess that doesn't make him immune to the stomach flu."

The search continued for another ten minutes before Wes and Jen finally admitted the truth.

Schuyler Tate Collins was nowhere to be found.

* * Miranoi * *

On their way to the Bike Repair Shop, Kendrix decided to pick up the girls early, just in case the agonizing attack on her and Maya about ten minutes ago was a prelude to something worse.

"What do you think is going on?" Maya asked. "Think it hit everyone?"

"Hopefully nothing bad. And I dunno. Leo said it got him and Kai and Mike but he didn't know about Damon and no one's talked to Karone yet, I guess. But I hope this doesn't get worse. Leo and I are just now getting used to the normal routine." Kendrix replied. She pulled her small car into a spot at Terra Venture colony's only school. As she turned off the motor, she looked at Maya. "You don't have to come in, ya know."

"I know," Maya got out of the car and headed inside with Kendrix. "But I want to. Just to be sure."

The two women walked into the building. After they checked in with the office, they went to Mrs. Cooper's K-4 class.

"Why, hello there, Mrs. Corbett! I didn't expect to see you again today." The fiftyish woman with graying hair greeted them enthusiastically.

Kendrix forced a smile. "I know. Unfortunately, I need to get the girls early. Could you help them pack up their things? It's urgent."

Mrs. Cooper frowned. "Mrs. Corbett, Lila and Jessie have already been picked up not fifteen minutes ago."

"Wha-what?" Kendrix stammered. "Who picked them up?"

"He had a note from you saying he had permission. The office called the girls there - he didn't come to the room. I suppose they have a record of him at the front desk." Mrs. Cooper wrung her hands together. "They would have the records," she repeated.

Kendrix and Maya rushed to the office and accosted the receptionist. She didn't know who it had been - he'd signed in as Mr. Holmes - but they did have a video of him leaving with the girls. Kendrix, her hand to her mouth, watched the screen to see a figure in a green jacket, hood up, leaving hand-in-hand with her girls.

"They knew him," Maya observed quietly. Kendrix didn't even want to think about that. "Or her. It could have been anyone under that hood."

"I have to get to Leo." Kendrix whispered as she and Maya left the building. She knew one thing for certain.

Lila and Jessie Corbett were gone.

* * Mariner Bay * *

The party was slowly picking up steam again but something wasn't right. Dana Grayson couldn't quite put her finger on it but she knew there was something wrong. And it wasn't just the little pains in her gut either.

Carter was talking to her Dad over in the corner of the room. Once she finally got her feet beneath her, Dana crossed to where they stood.

"-no idea what it was. I've checked with the Aquabase and they didn't register anything on sensors. Anything." Her dad shrugged.

"Maybe we ought to call the party early and get back to base, check this thing out ourselves." Carter suggested. He reached out and wrapped an arm around Dana's waist.

"Yeah, you're probably right." Dana interjected. She was beat and didn't feel much like dancing anymore. "I'll check on the others, make sure they're all right."

She moved off and found her way blocked by Kelsey. "Hey, Kels," Dana attempted a smile but knew it was weak. "You okay?"

Kelsey nodded. "Yeah, guess so. I wish Chad would answer his phone, though – I can't get in touch with him and I don't know if he's okay or not."

Dana gave her friend a reassuring pat on the back. "I'm sure he's fine. He wasn't feeling too good anyway, remember? Maybe he was so doped up on cold medicine that he didn't feel a thing."

Kelsey nodded and walked off. Dana made her way over to Joel and Mrs. Fairweather-Rawlings. "You okay?" she asked again.

Joel had crammed his cowboy hat on his head again, though it was pretty beat-up looking and had dried blood on his chin. "Fine." He grunted. "Wish we knew what that was. Angela says she needs to get back to the lab and run some tests and stuff, figure out what's going on, so we're gonna head out. See you guys back at the Aquabase."

"I think we're all about to leave, if you wanna hang around just for a few more minutes."

Carter joined Dana as she went in search of the last member of their team. After looking around the entire building, she still hadn't found her brother.

"Wasn't he outside with Ryan?" Carter asked after they couldn't find Ryan Mitchell anywhere inside. "Maybe they're still out there."

"Oh, yeah. Right." Dana hurried to the door and yanked it open. She stepped outside and called, "Ry! Ryan, where are you guys? Ryan!" There was no answer. Something started to creep into her gut and it wasn't a happy feeling. Where was her daughter?

"I'll take this direction." Carter pointed right and ran off but not before Dana caught sight of the worried expression on his face.

Dana raced around the other side of the building and called for her brother and her daughter with no answer. She searched the shadows and along the walls, hoping, praying she'd find one or the other or preferably both. Nothing. Finally, she met back up with Carter at the door. He shook his head.

They burst back into the party and all conversation stopped instantly upon seeing the looks on their faces.

"Something's wrong." Carter announced. "We can't find Ryan or my Ryan anywhere. We've got to get back to the Aquabase."

As former Rangers and Lightspeed officials began to move out, Dana just looked around hopelessly. What could have happened to her daughter? One thing was for sure.

Ryan Elise Grayson was gone.

* * Ocean Bluff * *

Lily, Casey and Dominic weren't sure they were up to the challenge of testing new Pai Zhuq Students, much less giving Jon and Luke their trials. They sat on a stone bench outside the testing arena, waiting on the twins to show up.

"I feel like I've been run over by a rhino," Lily groaned. She had her head cupped in her hands and her legs tucked up under her.

Dominic looked at her. "Hey. No hating on the rhino. This isn't my fault." He leaned back against the wall. "We gotta figure out what that was. That was not fun."

A young Pai Zhuq student came in and bowed before the three Masters. Her name was Carly and she was a Lion spirit, one of Jarrod's students. Today, she was in charge of bringing in the apprentices for testing. Her long red hair was pulled back in a ponytail that swung in front of her face as she bowed.

"Yes, Carly? Where is our next student?" Casey returned the bow.

Carly straightened up and pushed her ponytail over her shoulder. "Nick is next and he's on his way in but I can't find Luke and Jon anywhere. They're supposed to be after Nick. I thought you and Lily, as their parents, might know where they are? They need to be getting ready for their trials."

Casey frowned. "They should be out there in the prep room." He turned to look at Lily but she just shrugged, a frown on her own face. "Go ahead and send Nick in and we'll test him. Look for Luke and Jon again, see if you can find someone who has seen them in the last five minutes. Hopefully, they'll turn up in time for their trials. If not, well, they can try again next year."

Carly nodded and bowed again. Then she jogged from the room as a small, six-year-old boy came in.

Lily smiled at the boy. "Hi, Nick. It's good to see you."

Nick bowed clumsily and fought to keep a grin from his face. "Master Tah. Master Tig. Master Rhi. I have come to be tested." He still had the slight stammer and twitchiness of a new apprentice. "Should I begin?"

Dominic inclined his head. "Please."

The three Masters watched as the little boy went through all the moves he had learned thus far and all the meditation poses. They watched as he stumbled slightly through a difficult part of his Rhino defense move. But, at the end, he did a pretty good job.

Casey stood and bowed. After a second, Lily and Dominic joined him. Then Dominic, who was Nick's lead Master, smiled and said, "You have passed, Nick. You will now be a Pai Zhuq student. Take the weekend off and prepare to enter advanced training on Monday. Good job."

Nick beamed. A big grin stretched across his face and he nearly jumped up and down before remembering where he was and bowing low. "Thank you, Masters. Thank you. See you on Monday." And he ran out the door.

Dominic laughed. Turning to the other two Masters, he said, "That kid reminds me of my little brother back in the day."

Before Dominic could get started on what promised to be an exciting story, Carly dashed into the arena. She skidded to a stop in front of Lily, Casey and Dominic.

"They're gone, Masters. Seth says he saw them leave with a man in a cloak. And I swear, I've looked everywhere. I don't know where Luke and Jon are." Carly twisted her hands together in front of her.

Lily and Casey exchanged a terrified look and bolted from their seats, Dominic a step behind them. But Carly's words proved true.

Lucas Nathanael Rhodes and Jonathan Malachi Rhodes were gone.

* * Reefside * *

"Kira, if your band doesn't show up soon, we're going to have to start without them." Hayley said firmly from behind the counter. "Customers will be showing up any minute now and they want to see you perform. Solo or not."

"I don't know if I can, not after that pain," Kira still had her arms clamped over her stomach as she looked from Connor to Dr. O. Madison and Syd had gone to check on the kids and make sure Trent hadn't been hit by the pain and Sky and Nick were busy discussing theories as to what the pain was.

Xander was busy fine-tuning the sound equipment when Syd and Madison burst back into the room, their faces pale.

"They're gone!" Madison shouted. "All of them, just gone!"

Nick stood and caught his wife as she flung herself into his arms. "What is it, Maddy? Who's gone?"

"The kids! We can't find them anywhere!" Syd screamed hysterically.

Kira jerked her head up. "But Trent was with them!"

"Not anymore. He's gone, they're gone, they're all gone!" Madison exclaimed.

Connor came up out of his seat. "None of them? Paul, Collin, Kari? But where would they have gone?"

"Collin and Kari wouldn't just leave." Sky said rationally. "They're old enough to know better and they wouldn't just leave little kids alone in the back."

"Neither would Paul. And Trent wouldn't have let them go anywhere." Connor seconded. "They have to be here somewhere."

Kira turned to look at Dr. Oliver, who appeared frozen in a state of shock. No one moved. "Come on, we have to find them!" Kira finally exclaimed, breaking the momentary spell and sending everyone dashing for the back.

But, ten minutes later, they finally admitted that it was true.

Collin Schuyler Tate and Kari Noelle Tate had vanished.

Paul Jacob McKnight was gone.

Lee Nicolas Russell was nowhere to be found.

Connor Kirsten Fernandez had disappeared.

* * Blue Bay Harbor * *

Shane and Dustin showed up at Ninja Ops a few minutes after the pain had subsided. They found Tori and Blake covered in blood.

"You guys must have been hit real hard," Shane observed.

Blake chuckled dryly. "Most of it's fake. Long story."

Just then, the computer dinged. Dustin, who was closest, pushed the button to receive the transmission. It was Cam.

"Guys, she's gone! There was nothing I could do, I swear, one minute I was in crazy amounts of pain, the next, she was gone!"

Shane held up his hands, even though Cam couldn't see him. "Whoa, slow down. Who's missing? What are you talking about?"

Cam's next words chilled Tori to the bone. "Hunter! She was right beside me and then there was this guy all in black, wearing a mask, and he took her. I tried to stop him but I was weak. Tor, Blake, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

Blake stepped forward. "Did ya notice anything about him? Anything we can use to track him down?"

Cam sighed. "He fought like a beast. Knew what he was doing. I'm on my way to Ops now. See ya soon."

Dustin ended the transmission and turned to look at Tori, who had fallen to the ground in a heap.

"Don't panic, Tor. We'll get her back. If it's the last thing we ever do, we'll find her." Blake knelt beside his wife and wrapped his arms around her. "But, maybe we should call Connor and the Dino Thunders. For some extra muscle and backup just in case. You think?" He looked up at Shane.

Shane nodded slowly. "And I think we should go ahead and power up the morphers. Just in case. Hunter-" Shane hesitated. "Hey, where's Hunter?"

Blake seemed to just then notice his brother's absence. "I don't know. He was here earlier but left before all this started. What's important now is to find my daughter. Before it's too late."

"Right, okay. He'll show up sooner or later. Okay. Blake, you call Connor. Dustin, come with me to power up the morphers. Tori, if you can, get Cyber Cam up and running and get him looking for Hunter using the computer. All right, let's get crackin'!"

Tori slowly got to her feet and stumbled over to the computer while Blake pulled out his cell phone. Ever since Lothor had come back, he and Connor had kept in touch and kept each other on speed dial. Connor picked up on the fifth ring.

"Blake, now's really not a good time. Can I call you back later?" Connor's breathing was heavy and his voice cracked several times.

Leaning against the wall, Blake frowned. "You okay, Connor?"

Connor sighed. "No, not really. I'm at the Cyberspace Café with some of the other Rangers and we can't find our kids anywhere and Trent's gone too. Connor, Paul, Lee…they're missing so you'll have to excuse me if I hang up quickly and go find my son."

"Wait!" Blake shouted. "My daughter is missing too. Tori and I got hit with this heavy pain and so did Shane and Dustin and then Cam called and someone snatched Hunter away from him. What do you know about this, Connor? What do you know?"

"Nothing, we know nothing," Connor's voice was defeated. "Listen, come to the Cyberspace Café. We'll pool our resources and figure out what's going on. And then we'll kill the jerks who kidnapped our children and get them back."

"We'll be there." Blake snapped the phone shut and looked around as Shane and Dustin came back in with the morphers. "Connor's son is missing, too and so are Lee Russell and Connor Fernandez. There's more to this than meets the eye. Come on."


	5. Stronger Together

Blake jerked his Thunder Cycle to a stop outside the Cyberspace Café. Tori scrambled off the seat behind him as Shane and Dustin dismounted their bikes. Cam had stayed at Ninja Ops to monitor frequencies and the city, hoping that little Hunter would show up soon. And no one had seen Hunter Bradley. They were starting to think maybe the worst had happened to him.

Pushing open the door, the Ninja Rangers stepped inside. Instantly, they were greeted by a good many very confused and rather scared Rangers.

"Blake, Shane, guys, please tell us you've got some idea what's going on?" Madison asked from her seat at the bar. Her fingers drummed on the counter behind her.

Nick paced along the far wall, balling and unballing his fists. His hair was rumpled, as if he'd raked his fingers through it again and again. But as Blake, Shane, and Dustin set their moto helmets on the counter, he turned to face them. "Who would do this?" he asked. "Kidnap children? That's beneath even the Dark Master."

"We have to get them back." Sky announced from his place beside his ashen wife. Tears were flowing freely down Syd's face.

Dustin paused. "Wait a minute. Who are you guys?" He looked at Connor. "Who are they? Why are they here?"

"I'm Sky Tate. This is my wife, Syd. We don't know why we're here. All we know is that we were transported here and, less than fifteen minutes later, my son and daughter were kidnapped out of this building! Now what are we going to do to find them?"

Shane held his hands out in a calming gesture and his voice was quiet when he spoke. "Okay, hang on. Let's get all the facts straight, first. Make sure we're all on the same page. Tori and Blake's daughter, Hunter, was taken from another one of our Rangers, Cam. You say your son and daughter were taken as well, Sky? And Nick, I assume they took Lee?"

Nick and Sky nodded. Kira spoke up, her voice trembling, fury hiding behind every word. "And they took my Connor, and Connor and Kelly's Paul. We need to move fast before they get too far away. Then we make them pay."

"Okay, hang on," Dr. Oliver finally interjected from his seat on the edge of the stage, "Let's think this through first."

"Think? They have our kids, Dr. O! You don't know, you don't understand what it's like to be a parent. To know that the person you love the most, the one you would die for a hundred times is in danger. And you want us to do nothing?" Kira shouted, her words augmented by her Ptera scream, causing those nearest her to cover their ears.

"I'm not suggesting we do nothing and I'm not trying to keep you from saving your kids. In fact, I'm suggesting the opposite. I imagine you care about your kids the way I care about you, Kira, and Connor, Trent, Ethan, and all who took up the Ranger powers after me. I would lay down my life for you and your children. I'm just suggesting we find out if this is isolated or if other Ranger teams have been affected. We are stronger together."

Shane nodded. "He's right. If we're gonna have to fight to get them back, we must stand as one. So let's take a moment, just a moment, to think. Who else of the Ranger legacy has kids?"

"Leo and Kendrix have twins. And Carter and Dana have a daughter. Other than that, I don't know." Tommy stood, leaned over the counter, and grabbed the cordless phone. Tossing it to Shane, he added, "Give them a call and see what's going on. If they can, have them and their team meet us here. Maybe the Lost Galaxy Rangers can swing by KO-35 and pick up the Space Rangers. The more Rangers here, the better prepared we will be."

"What about Wes and Jen?" Connor asked. He had his arm around Kelly, who was sobbing quietly. His fingers were tight on her shoulder. "They seemed pretty tight on that video we watched while you were with Mesagog, Dr. Oliver. Did they ever have a kid?"

"I don't know. Give them a call and see." Tommy handed Connor his cell phone. "All Ranger numbers are programmed in that phone."

Whispering that he would be right back, Connor headed out the door of the Café. Once outside, he scrolled through the Contacts until he came to Wes' number. Dialing, he waited for Wes to pick up.

"Tommy?" Wes answered. "Glad you called. We could really use your help here."

"Uh, sorry, Wes, this is Connor McKnight. I'm one of Dr. Oliver's students and the red Dino Thunder Ranger. Listen, we're in the middle of something big here in Reefside and wanted to check with you guys –"

Wes cut him off. "Kids are missing, aren't they?"

"Yeah." Connor squeezed his eyes shut. Why? Why would someone kidnap his son? Whatever it meant, whatever happened, Connor would make them pay. "We were just wondering if you or any of the Rangers on your team had children and, if so, are they okay?"

"Jen and I have a son, Sky, and he's been kidnapped. We don't know how and we don't know who but we're going to find him and I'm going to make his kidnappers pay. I promise you that." Wes' voice was hard and Connor believed every word he said. It was exactly how he felt.

"Well, we're staging from the Cyberspace Café here in Reefside if you want to join us. We're thinking that we can be more effective working as one big team rather than going it alone. The Mystic Force Rangers are here, my team, and the Ninja Storm Rangers. Also two Rangers from the future." Connor offered. He wouldn't force Wes to accept and join them but he sure hoped the other man would.

"We're on our way." Wes ended the call. Sighing in relief, Connor turned and went back inside the Café.

Somehow, getting everyone together would set them on the path to finding Paul. He just knew it would.

X Ocean Bluff X

"I'm sorry, Master, but they're not in the Temple anywhere." Carly's face was red from exertion. Casey knew she'd used the speed of a Cheetah to race through the halls searching for Jon and Luke.

Lily turned to Casey and fell against his chest. Hot tears soaked the shoulder of his jacket. "Where could they be?" she whispered.

Dom patted her on the back and glanced at Casey. The question in his eyes was the same one on Casey's heart. Would Jon and Luke just wander off? Or had they indeed been taken against their will? One thing was for certain. If they had been taken, he would do whatever he had to in order to get them back.

"Casey! Dominic!" A voice called, accompanied by running feet. Seconds later, a young man about Jon and Luke's age skidded to a stop in front of them. Catching his breath, he bowed low and said, "I mean, Master Tig. Master Rhi. I need to talk to you. It's urgent."

"What, Austin? What is it?" Casey tried to calm the hope welling in his heart. Surely it was too much to wish that this student knew where Jon and Luke were. "Spit it out, son." Please, let him have information.

"Carly told all the students and apprentices that Jon and Luke were missing and so I heard about it when I went back to the barracks to rest until my test later but I didn't think about it right then and I've only just now remembered and –"

"Breathe, Austin. Slow down. And get to the point." Dominic cast a small grin at Casey, no doubt also remembering the millions of times they'd had to tell Dominic's girlfriend, Fran, to chill out and breathe.

"Right. Sorry, Master. Anyway, I remembered that I saw Luke and Jon leaving. And I thought it was weird because their test was coming up but they didn't seem to be moving against their will or anything so I thought maybe they were just going for a quick practice session or a drink or something. But now Carly says that no one can find them so I figured I'd better tell you." Austin finished in a rush and bowed low again.

Lily lifted her head from Casey's chest. "They left on their own? Why would they do that?"

A cold thought gripped Casey's gut. "Because they trusted the person they were leaving with."

X Silver City X

"We're leaving." Wes announced as he re-entered the church after his conversation with Connor McKnight. "Now."

Jen stared at him from where she sat on the front pew between Katie and Alyssa. "But what about Sky? We can't leave him here alone, Wes! What if he comes back and we're not here?"

Wes knelt before his wife and took her hands in his. Speaking quietly, he said, "I just got off the phone with the red Dino Thunder Ranger. His son is missing as well and he hinted that other Ranger kids were gone, too. He suggested that we all come to Reefside, where he is, along with several other teams. We'll regroup, assess the situation and work together to bring down whoever is doing this. We need to go, Jen. Together, we're stronger, right?"

Slowly, Jen nodded and stood. "You're right. Together. Call the Time Jet. It'll get us there faster. Katie, Lucas, you guys can grab Trip and find your own rides back to the Time Ship, can't you?" The three Time Force Rangers had been given special leave to attend Eric and Taylor's wedding but they were due back in the future in less than two hours.

Lucas shook his head. "We're not going anywhere, Jen. The future is going to have to get along without us until we find Sky."

"No, you guys have to go back. Your lives are in the future." Wes protested, shaking his head. He stood and, turning, extended his hand to Jen.

Katie grabbed his shoulder. "We're coming with you, Wes. Haven't you figured it out by now? We are a team. Our lives are with our team. Sky is important to all of us. And nothing is going to happen to him if we have anything to say about it."

"Fine. But we've got to go now." Jen stood and glanced at Lucas. "Get Trip on the morpher, tell him to meet us in Reefside. And I don't care if he's still going on about having a stomachache. We need him." She and Wes headed towards the back of the church.

And found their way blocked by Taylor and Eric. Taylor's circlet of yellow roses was askew on her head and her wedding dress was ripped in several places. "We're coming, too." Taylor said. Glancing down at her attire, she added, "At least as soon as I change. Wild Force will do whatever we must to get Sky back."

Jen reached out and gave her a hug. "Then come on. We gotta hurry."

X Mariner Bay X

"That was Shane Clarke." Carter told his father-in-law as he came back inside the fire house after finishing his phone call. Bill Mitchell's eyes widened and Carter nodded. "Yeah. It's not just us. He said they're operating out of some café in Reefside, where Tommy teaches and led the Dino Thunder Rangers. Wes and Cole and their teams are on their way there and I think we should go meet them. Whoever took our kids is gonna have a hard time going up against all of us together."

Captain Mitchell nodded grimly. "I agree. We need –"

But what exactly they needed to do was lost as a figure covered in green armor appeared out of thin air right beside them. Carter instinctively reached for the weapon that wasn't there and dropped into a fighting crouch.

The figure held up its hands and, after a second, shimmered and a young, dark-haired woman stood in its place. She took a step backwards. "Don't! Don't. I come with news from Jarrod."

"Jarrod?" Captain Mitchell laid a hand on Carter's shoulder. "Is he okay?" At Carter's very confused glance, Captain Mitchell added, "Jarrod was one of the ones I considered for Lightspeed Rescue. But ultimately we decided he was too young and I pointed him in the direction of the Pai Zhuq Academy instead. There he got enslaved by the Dai Shi and wreaked havoc but their Red Ranger, Casey, managed to bring him back to good. He considered coming to work at Lightspeed, fresh start and all that, but decided to resume his studies at Pai Zhuq."

"Yes!" the woman exclaimed. "And he told me that we could trust you. Casey and Lily's sons, Jon and Luke, were taken from the Academy just a short while ago. Jarrod said you would know what to do. We have to help them."

Carter relaxed, coming out of his crouch. "Are you sure we can trust her?" he asked Captain Mitchell.

The Captain nodded. "Yes. She's Camille, Jarrod's right-hand…person. She has always had his best interests at heart. And we'll need them both if we're to get Ryan and the others back."

"Then get your team and meet us in Reefside at the Cyberspace Café. That's where we're going to be operating from." Carter instructed. "And we don't have much time."

"We'll be there." Camille agreed before fading back into the wall.

Carter smacked his fist into his palm. "This time, it's personal."

X Somewhere X

Jon banged his fists against the door. He didn't know if anyone could hear him and would come to help them or if they would hear him and ignore him. Sighing, he turned to Luke.

His brother was pacing the length of the small room, occasionally tapping on the walls, trying to find a hidden exit or tunnel or something that could help them escape. Luke must have felt Jon's gaze on him as he neared his brother. "It's hopeless," Luke whispered once he was closer, "There's no way out. We're trapped. Why would he bring us here and leave us?"

"I don't know but don't panic. We're the oldest and we're Pai Zhuq. We have to set an example, Luke. Be brave. Dad and Mom and Dom will come for us. Call on your tiger for his calm. Now come on," Jon motioned towards the other kids. "Let's take charge. That's what Dad would expect."

He turned to look at the other kids in the room. Two boys about ten, who'd come in together sat with a girl their age, who was holding a baby. Another little girl, maybe four, clung to the older girl. She was crying. A young boy and girl, each about five, sat in the corner, their eyes wide. The last arrivals had been two girls who looked to be twins of about seven or eight and another boy who looked like he was about to burst into tears.

Jon clapped his hands and pasted a huge grin on his face. He reached inside and drew on the calm of his panther spirit. "Hi!" he exclaimed, making his voice as happy as he could. "I'm Jon Rhodes. This is my brother, Luke." He pointed to Luke, who nodded and waved. "We're Pai Zhuq kung fu students from Ocean Bluff. We're fifteen and about to take our trials to become full students. Our parents are Masters at the school and used to be Power Rangers!" Jon smiled at the two boys who'd come in first after them with the baby and two girls. "What about you guys? Why don't we go around the room and tell who we were so we can all be friends!" Ugh. Being this perky was annoying.

Luckily, the other boys seemed to catch on. The brown-haired of the two nodded. "I'm Paul McKnight. I'm ten. My dad was the red Dino Thunder Ranger but now he runs soccer camps and he's teaching me! We live in Reefside, me and my mom and Dad."

After Paul fell silent, the blonde boy beside him started talking. "My name's Collin Tate." He looked at the girl holding the baby but she shook her head. "And that's my sister, Kari. I'm ten. She's eleven. We're from Newtech City." Jon frowned. He'd never heard of Newtech City but he shrugged. It wasn't important. He listened to Collin. "Our mom and Dad are Power Rangers, too. Today was his birthday. He's gonna miss his party!" Collin's face screwed up and tears welled in his eyes.

"No, he's not!" Luke exclaimed. "Once our parents come get us, we'll throw your dad an awesome party he'll never forget!" Collin wiped his face and smiled. Luke knelt down beside the crying little girl. "Hey, sweetie, what's your name?"

The dark blonde girl looked up at Luke. "Connor. My mommy's a singer and Daddy's a drawer. He colors with me. I want…I want my Daddy!" Connor's tears came faster and faster. Luke swept her up into his arms and stood. Bouncing her against his hip, he tried to calm her down.

Paul spoke up. "She's Kira and Trent Fernandez's kid. From Reefside, same as me. And the baby is Lee Russell. His parents are Power Rangers too, from somewhere called Briarwood."

Jon nodded and looked at the little boy in the corner. Dark-haired and wearing a tuxedo, he held a toy racecar in his hands. The little boy stared at Jon. "And who are you, buddy?" Jon asked. "What's your name?"

"Schulyer Tatum Collins." The little boy – Schulyer – said with a hint of pride in his voice. "But Mommy and Daddy call me Sky. They're Power Rangers Time Force. I'm five. My address is 17 Main Street, Silver City. My phone number –"

The girl sitting next to him had platinum blonde hair and wore pink overalls. She interrupted Sky. "Nuh-uh, Sky! They don't wanna know your phone number. My name is Ryan Grayson. My uncle's name is Ryan too and we're best buddies, me and him. He used to be a Ranger and my mommy was the pink 'ightspeed Ranger and Daddy was red. Uncle Ryan was gray. I'm gonna be purple!" Ryan smiled a small smile at Jon, who grinned back.

Before he could say anything though, the twin girl with dark hair spoke up. "I'm Jessie Corbett. This is my sister, Lila and we're eight. But I'm older. We're from Mir'noi. Daddy fixes motorcycles with Mr. Damon. Mommy works with Uncle Mike. We were gonna have peanut butter and jelly for lunch! Me and Lila are twins. But I'm smarter."

Lila, the blonde twin, smacked her sister on the shoulder. "Are not."

"Am so."

Luke, still bouncing a crying Hunter, interrupted them by looking at the last kid. "So who are you, kiddo?"

The boy hiccupped once and drew in a deep breath. "A-Alex. I'm from KO-35. So's my dad, Zhane, and my mom, Karone. But we vi-visit Angel Grove, California all the time because that's where their Ranger friends are. I'm nine years old. And I wanna go home!" That was it. The tears overflowed. And once his did, so did Ryan's. And then Sky's. Hunter's crying got louder. Luke cast a worried glance at Jon.

Jon took a deep breath. He was older than Luke by five minutes so that made him the oldest one here. It was up to him. "Okay, everyone, calm down. Just…just chill out! It's gonna be okay!" He racked his brain for something to say that would make this better. "Look, what's the one thing we all have in common? Our parents are Rangers, right?" Paul nodded. So did Collin and Kari. "So that means they're looking for us right now! We're gonna be okay." He repeated.

"Don't go making promises you can't keep, kid." The voice was one Jon didn't recognize and was accompanied by a woman. Tall, red-headed, with a green circlet around her forehead, holding her hair back off her face. A grin showed perfectly white teeth. Green eyes narrowed as her gaze took in the kids standing, kneeling, or sitting on the floor.

"What do you mean, promises we can't keep? We _are_ gonna be okay." Luke set Hunter on the floor. His hands were balled into fists. He stepped up beside Jon, whose arms were crossed over his chest. "Who are you, anyway?"

"It does not matter. All you need to know is that your parents will not save you. No one is coming to your rescue."

Now even Kari had tears in her eyes. Lila started to sob. "My daddy's not coming for me? Why wouldn't he come for me?"

That was it. Jon had had enough. He took a step forward. "Let us go. Now. Our parents _will_ come. You free us and you'll save yourself a lot of pain and heartache when they kick your butt."

The woman laughed. "I don't think so." She snapped her fingers. "Take her!"

Before Jon or Luke could respond, two doors they hadn't noticed opened and two hooded and cloaked figures stepped into the room. And reached for Hunter.

"No!" Luke shouted. He spun and aimed a kick at the guy on the right as Jon leapt at the guy on the left. Hunter screamed.

Jon and Luke called on all their kung fu moves, employing what Dom had taught them of the Rhino power, what RJ had showed them of the wolf technique and their own techniques, the tiger and the panther. But it wasn't enough. The two figures pushed them aside and one of them snatched Hunter up and held her under his arm.

"Let her go!" Luke shouted. He concentrated. There was only one thing he could do. "Call to the beast within, free the tiger!"

At precisely the same moment, Jon cried, "Call to the beast within, release the panther!"

A green haze erupted around Jon while a red one surrounded Luke. Two animal spirits leapt into existence; one was a young tiger, its legs longer than its body. The other was a small panther, its tongue lolling out of its mouth. Both animals flung themselves at the guy holding Hunter.

But it was too late. The woman had placed herself between the two young animal spirits and, with a flick of her wrist, batted them both away. They faded from view, leaving Jon and Luke doubled over and out of breath.

"Nice try, boys. Now sit tight. I'll be back for you later." With that, the woman left.

Jon pounded on the door, yelling in vain for them to bring Hunter back. All the kids were crying now, even the older ones. Luke…he sank to the floor where he'd set Hunter and whispered, "Why did I put her down? This is all my fault…"

**Author's Note: Okay, I know there's a lot of expository writing in this one but I was trying to reset the mood and jog people's memories from the first chapters because it has been a LONG time! That being said, I changed a few things around in this chapter (namely introducing a kid of Zhane's and Karone's) and I'll be fixing that. In the meantime, read, and remember to hit that little 'review' button when you're done!**


	6. Divisions

Kira had her guitar out, strumming the strings idly. Memories flashed through her head as she thought about her daughter sleeping on Trent's lap. Playing her little guitar while Kira played hers. Playing dress-up and catch. The tears started anew.

"We're gonna find her, Kir. And wherever Trent's got to, we'll find him too." Connor sat down beside her and put his arm around her shoulder. "We'll find them all. And Paul won't let anything happen to Connor, you know that."

Before Kira could respond, the door to the Cyberspace Café opened and a horde of people came in. Commotion reigned for a few minutes until Tommy managed to get everyone's attention. "Okay, guys, listen up. We need to know how many children are missing so we can plan how to get them back. And we _will_ get them back, I promise you that."

There was a moment of silence, then Zhane stepped forward. "They took my son, Alex. We're here to get him back." He indicated Andros, Ashley, Cassie, and Karone behind him. "And we think they took our blue Ranger, TJ, we can't get in touch with him at all."

"Us, too." Leo and the Galaxy Rangers, sans Damon, their Green Ranger, had been the last to arrive on the Astro Megaship. "Our Green Ranger isn't answering his morpher or his cell. He disappeared without a trace. So did my four-year-old twins, Lila and Jessie. And we're not going to just sit by and talk about this. Let's rocket." He grinned at Andros, who nodded at the use of the Space Rangers' morphing call.

Carter, Dana, Kelsey, Chad, and Joel stood in a group by the wall. Their Rescue Rover took up two parking spots outside the Café but parking hadn't been their top priority when they arrived. Dana, clutching tightly to Carter's hand said, "Our daughter, Ryan, was taken and so was my brother, Ryan. Hopefully, they're to-together because he'll keep her sa-safe!" She buried her head against Carter's chest.

Another silence fell, broken when Wes stood up from the booth where he, Jen, Katie, Lucas, and Eric sat. The Wild Force Rangers sat near them. "They kidnapped my son, Sky, right out of the church. He was there and then he wasn't. He was surrounded by Rangers but that didn't help. They snatched him right out from under my nose." Wes sounded either very close to tears or rage. A fine line.

"And our Lunar Wolf Ranger went missing at the same time." Cole Evans, Red Wild Force Ranger, spoke up. "So we're thinking maybe they're related. Connected, somehow."

Tori nodded. "Same here. My daughter, Hunter, was jacked right out of Cam's hands." She indicated the dark-haired Asian man behind her. "And my brother-in-law, Hunter, hasn't been heard from all afternoon." Fresh tears gathered in her eyes. "What if she's hurt?"

"We can't think like that, Tori." Connor sat with Kelly, Dr. Oliver, Hayley, and Kira at the bar. "My son, Paul, Kira and Trent's Connor, and Nick and Madison's Lee were all taken out of the back room. Trent was with them and now he's gone, too. We called our teams here but two of them didn't answer. Ethan, our Blue Ranger, and Chip, Mystic Force's Yellow Ranger."

Sky and Syd Tate sat at a table in the corner with a brown-haired woman and an African-American man. "And our kids, Collin and Kari, were taken. Bur then Z and Jack, two more SPD Rangers, well, Jack's retired, showed up. They said our red ranger, Bridge, had been kidnapped shortly after Syd, Collin, Kari, and I were transported here. When I told them Collin and Kari were missing, they stayed to help."

Shane nodded. "So there has to be a connection between the missing Rangers and the kidnapped kids. Is that everyone who's missing?"

"No." The sound of the voice and the door slamming answered Shane. Casey and Lily Rhodes, Theo Martin, Dom, Jarrod, and Camille stood just inside the door of the Café.

"Who are you?" Nick asked. "Are you Rangers?"

"Yes." Dom answered. "We're the Jungle Fury Rangers from Ocean Bluff. I'm Dom, this is Theo, Jarrod, Camille, Casey, and Lily. And Lily and Casey's two sons have been taken. Plus," Dom added, "Our mentor and Master, RJ, is gone too. Carter Grayson of Lightspeed Rescue told Camille the Rangers were staging from here. Together, we're stronger. And we can get the kids back faster."

There were nods of assent from around the room. "But what if they're…" Karone started but let her sentence trail off. "What if they're…well, you know…hurt?"

"Jon and Luke are sixteen. They're responsible and have been trained in the Pai Zhuq arts. The other kids will be well protected by them, I promise you. They will do everything in their power to keep everyone safe." Lily looked around at the other Rangers, as if daring them to contradict her.

"And if the missing Rangers are being held in the same place, they will also protect our children with their lives. I know TJ would die for Alex." Zhane added from where he leaned against the jukebox.

"Uh, guys? I wouldn't be too sure about that." Tommy said. He sat at one of the computers that made the Cyberspace Café so popular. His attention was focused on the screen. Hayley stood behind him, her hand over her mouth.

"What is it?" Nick asked. When Tommy didn't answer, his voice got louder. "Tommy! What is it?"

"No." Hayley whispered. "No, you don't want to see. Shut it off, Tommy. Shut it off!" This last was a shout.

In the blink of an eye, Connor stood beside Tommy, pushing him away from the computer. A scowl grew on his face until he said, "Yes." Connor glanced over his shoulder at the Ninja Storm Rangers. "Delete it, Dr. O. Now." He turned to face the rest of the group. "We need to formulate a plan. How are we going to get our children back?"

Dr. O's fingers flew over the keyboard but, before he could hit 'enter' and execute the deletion of whatever was on the screen, a blue blur rocketed through the room. A hand grabbed Tommy's, stopping him from pressing the button. Blake appeared, his expression fierce. "I don't think so, Tommy. Whatever it is you're trying to hide might be the one thing that can help me find my daughter. So put it on the screen and let us decide for ourselves if it should have been deleted."

"Blake, you might not wanna do that, man." Connor cautioned. His face had become a mask, unable to be read. "Trust me.'

"Oh, no." Tori whispered. "It's Hunter, isn't it? Oh, no. Please, God, no." Her knees buckled and she started to fall but Shane was there to catch her and let her lean on him. Dustin hovered at her shoulder.

Now the other Rangers were getting involved. Nick cursed, pulled out his wand, and stepped towards the computer. "Play it, Tommy." His voice was dangerously low, more a growl than anything else. "Blake is her father. If he wants to see whatever it is, he has a right. Play it or I will."

There had been no affirmation that this was indeed about Hunter Hanson-Bradley but when Tommy sighed and bent over the keyboard, Blake's shoulders sagged. Something had happened to his little girl, he knew it. His baby, the one he was supposed to protect, was in trouble and he was just sitting here doing nothing.

Seconds later, the big TV on the wall of the Café came to life. At first, the screen was black, then slowly it brightened to show a figure in a black hooded cloak standing by a table. When she spoke, her voice was low and tense. "Power Rangers. I have taken that which is most dear to you and have done it without lifting a finger. You will not see them again. If you come after them, they will die, you will die, and every human on Earth will die. Don't believe me? Well. Let this cure your unbelief."

A door to her right opened and two more cloaked figures came into the room. Under the arm of one figure dangled a girl with a jet-black braid and tears on her face. She was tossed like a loaf of bread onto the table.

"Daddy!" she screamed. "Daddy!"

"Hunter!" Blake shouted. He flung himself forward but Connor and Shane each grabbed one of his arms.

"There's nothing you can do, buddy." Shane whispered.

The woman stepped to the side so that the table was visible as the two hooded figures took up positions on either side of it. A note of glee was in her voice. "This, my dear Rangers, is what will happen to each of these children if you try to come after them. And don't think that your missing Rangers will be much protection for them, either. No, that is one thing I definitely wouldn't count on." She snapped her fingers,

In the video, two things happened simultaneously. "Call to the beast inside, free the wolf!" was the shout of the figure on the right. The person on the left raised a wand and cried "Paiolis injuris!"

In the air above the table, a purple wolf appeared, roaring and swiping at a cowering Hunter. Tendrils of energy snaked from the wizard's wand and wrapped around Hunter's ankles. Blood flowed. Hunter's scream grew in intensity. The wolf bit at her shoulders as she covered her head with her hands.

As the figure on the right fed more energy into his animal spirit, his hood fell back, revealing a man with shoulder-length brown hair. Casey gasped.

Hunter's scream became one word, cried over and over, "Daddy!" Blake slumped to the floor, tears pouring down his face. He stretched his hands towards the screen. "Hunter…" he whispered.

Tori was being restrained by Xander and Carter. She struggled, crying her daughter's name over and over but they held on, knowing there was nothing that she could do.

And then it was over. The wolf faded from view and the energy tendrils disappeared. The brown-haired man replaced his hood and they stood by as the woman returned to stand in front of the table. Leaning over, she stroked Hunter's hair. Blood from cuts and deep bites stained Hunter's clothes.

"Sweetheart, you know what's going to happen next, don't you?" the woman asked.

Hunter sobbed. "My…my Daddy and my…Mommy are going to…come get me." She managed between gasps.

"No," the woman answered, shaking her head. "They won't. Honey, your parents are never coming for you. They don't love you anymore. They've left you here and they don't even care that you're hurt."

"But Uncle Hunter loves me. And Mr. Shane and Mr. Dustin! My mommy and Daddy will come!" Hunter raised her tear-stained face to the woman. "Jon said so!"

"I'm afraid Jon is making promises he can't keep. Your parents, your uncle, and Shane and Dustin aren't coming for you. No one is coming."

As Hunter's cries got louder and louder, the woman snapped her fingers again. "Take her away."

"I'll come for you, Hunter!" Blake screamed as his daughter was carried out of the room. "I promise!"

"You will never find us, Rangers. And I promise you, that was only the beginning. I have no problems with hurting children or even killing them. So don't test me." And, as the woman grinned, the picture faded and the video ended.

"My little girl." Blake whispered from where he sat on the floor, his head in his hands. "I'm supposed to protect her. And I've failed."

"No, buddy." Shane leaned over Blake. "You heard her. She believes you'll come for her. That we'll all come for her. We will. We'll get her back. You have to have faith."

"Faith?" Tori chuckled. "Faith won't get us anywhere. We need action. We have to move. Before they hurt the rest of them."

There was a long silence, during which most of the Rangers simply stared at the man on the floor, head bowed, tears flowing. Finally, Casey spoke up. "I hate to say it, but I know who one of her attackers was. And I don't think we can count on our missing Rangers to protect the children."

"Did you _know_ him, Casey?" Connor asked, moving forwards. Slowly, all the Rangers edged forward, forming a circle with the Jungle Rangers in the middle.

X Somewhere X

The sound of crying alerted the kids that their enemies were bringing Hunter back. Jon tensed. If they'd hurt her, if they'd done anything to harm her, he would make them pay. She was only five; what kind of creeps would injure a little kid?

His question was answered a moment later when the door opened and the man in the black robe stepped inside. He tossed Hunter to the ground, where she lay curled up in a ball. Blood soon stained the floor.

"You creep!" Jon flung himself at the black-robed person. "Hunter's just a kid! She can't even defend herself! Why don't you pick on someone your own size, huh? Scared you'll lose?"

A heavy slap to the face sent Jon reeling backwards. He stumbled and fell, hands going reflexively to his face. Luke, who was crouched beside Hunter, fingers running through her hair, quiet words running across his lips, stood and moved in front of his brother. "Leave him alone!" Luke shouted. He balled his hands into fists. "Or I'll make you!"

"No, you won't, Luke. You'll keep your head down and don't make trouble. If you do that, you might make it out alive."

Luke blinked. What was going on? He _knew_ that voice. He glanced at Jon, whose wide eyes indicated he'd recognized it as well. Slowly, as if he were savoring the moment, the man reached up and pulled back his hood to reveal a small smile and shoulder-length brown hair. "Hello, boys." The man said.

"But…but why?" Jon stammered. "Why would you hurt Hunter?" his question hung in the air, filling the silence with an ominous aftertaste.

X Reefside X

Connor's question seemed almost to reverberate around the room. Casey squirmed and looked to his teammates for help. What if his answer caused the other Rangers to look on the Jungle Fury team with suspicion, with distrust? They needed all the help they could get to find Jon and Luke.

"That's RJ. Our Master. Keeper of the Wolf Spirit."

Casey sighed. Leave it to Dominic to lay it all on the table with the blunt force of a rhino. He took a look around. Expressions ranging from confusion to shock to anger were represented on all the faces of the people surrounding him and his friends. _Oh boy,_ he thought, _they hate us._

"Excuse me?" Carter asked. "I must have heard wrong. A Pai Zhuq master tortured a five-year-old kid? What's your team's problem, anyway?"

There were murmurs of assent from other Rangers. Those standing nearest the Pai Zhuq masters and students edged away. Jack stood up from his seat and turned so that he faced all the other Rangers.

"We know about the Jungle Fury Rangers. That one," he pointed at Jarrod, "freed the evil Dai Shi, allowing him to wreak havoc on Ocean Bluff. And that one," he jerked his thumb at Camille, "was his henchman! She was evil! They both were! Who's to say they've really changed?" His words rang throughout the room.

"They took our kids! They're traitors!" Karone cried. Her trembling finger pointed directly at Casey.

This was going very bad, very fast. Casey slipped sideways so that he shielded Lily. A second later, she shrieked and he whirled to see a morphed but helmetless Nick Russell clutching a wide-eyed Lily in front of him, shaky Magi Staff pressed to her neck. Even as he heard a rustling behind him, Casey reached for his morpher. The glasses were halfway to his face when Nick's voice stopped him, "Don't even think about it, Jungle Boy. You took my son. I want him back or I'll kill her. I swear I'll kill her."

"Chill out, man. Just, just calm down. We didn't take your son. Our kids are missing, too." Casey took a step forward, his gaze locked on Nick's. "Let her go. Don't make this come to a fight. We'll take you down if we have to."

"And who do you think will fight alongside you?" Nick countered. Casey glanced around. He was right. The other Ranger teams were moving, grouping around Nick. If it did indeed come down to a fight, there was no doubt the Pai Zhuq would lose.

"Put down the sword, Nick." Madison's quiet voice broke through the tension. "Let her go. You don't want to do this, I know you don't." She pushed through the crowd and faced her husband. "We both know they didn't take Lee, anymore than I did or Vida did." Madison reached for Nick's Magi Staff.

Nick stepped back, dragging Lily with him. She whimpered as the sword nicked her neck. Theo cursed. Dominic whispered, "Jungle Beast, Spirit Unleashed." Casey didn't need to look to know the Rhino Ranger stood ready to battle. But then Xander stepped out from the crowd, fully morphed, Magi Axe held loosely at his side. He grabbed the handle of Nick's staff. "Why don't we tell them who else was torturing the little girl, Nick? Let them decide if we, too, are traitors."

Tommy, too, moved away from the rest of the Rangers. "This is just what they want." He announced. "Us, fighting each other. Divided, we are easily conquered." Looking at Blake, he asked, "She's your daughter, Blake. Do you really think these Rangers are to blame?"

With no hesitation, Blake said, "No. No more than you are, Tommy, or Conner. But let's look at the facts. Your Master, RJ, was torturing my daughter. So was a guy with a wand. From what Xander said, I assume he was one of yours?" Blake's tears had dried on his face and his expression was blank. There was no emotion to be read on his face at all.

At last, Nick lowered the Staff and pushed Lily towards Casey. He caught her and pulled her towards him. Nick demorphed. After a few seconds, Dominic followed his lead. Casey turned in a circle to take in all the expressions of the other Rangers.

"Yes. Jarrod and Camille used to be evil. Yes, RJ was torturing that girl. But we did not take the children. I don't know why RJ is with the enemy. But I swear to you, to all of you, that we are here for the same reasons you are. If we're not wanted, we will leave."

"No." Tori spoke with her head on Dustin's shoulder, drawing comfort from one of her oldest friends. "Tommy's right. This is what they want. They sought to divide us by showing one of our own torturing my daughter. We need a plan."

"At least now we can safely assume who took the kids." Vida said. "Their master and our Yellow Ranger, Chip, were the two torturing your daughter. I think we can assume that all of our missing Rangers aren't in fact missing but are traitors. Kidnappers."

Kira dropped onto the couch. "That's not possible." She whispered. "Trent wouldn't take our daughter and he wouldn't be party to others' kidnapping. No way."

"But we have to be open to the possibility, Kir. What other explanation is there?" Ethan laid a hand on her shoulder. She shook it off.

"I just want my daughter back." Blake spoke up. His eyes were trained on Kira's. "And, I'm sorry, Kira, but I don't care who I have to kill to do that. If Trent is a part of this, well, I'm going to do what I have to do."

**Author's Note: Okay, I know, lousy ending, but I couldn't really think of anything good. Hopefully you like this chapter. Please read and REVIEW! Thanks!**


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